New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-04
PRICE THREE CENTS
ARE ANARCHISTS AT WORK !
THE NEw-YoRKER zEIrUNGs ENEMrEs
ITS BUILDING FIRED AGAIN LAST yTGHr-TuE sIxrR
| ATTEMPT TO BURN IT OUT


ITS BUILDING FIRED AGAIN LAST STGHT-TuE sIxrH
ATTEMPT TO BURN IT OUT.
The discovery of fire for the sixth time In thrce
months in building occupied by Mayer 4 VOL
fran, publishers of the NeT- Yorker Zeitamg and the
the NeT-Yorker Herold. German morning and even-
ing papers, tends to confirm beyond much
doubt tho suspicion that incendiaries are
making strong effort to avenge some wrong. fam
ced or real. and to drive the firm out of business.
For several years prior to April 1s the two papers
were published in the fve-story brick
building at No. Frankfort-st They
are conservative Republican sheets. The editors
were naturally opposed to Anarchism aud Social
ism, but were not more outspoken in their opposi-
tlon to these revolutionary elements than are tho
English papers. When Herr Most was IN trouble
they had little editorial controversy with
the potks Zeitang, the organ of the Socialists,
and at the time of the trial of the
Chicago Anarchists they were as bitter in denounc-
iDgthe fendish crimes and the principle which was
responsible for them as were their contemporaries
ofthe press generally. These expressions of opinion
met the approval of their readers so far as they
knew, and they were never threatened either vcr-
bally or by letter.
One morning early in March flames were
discovered in dark corner of their press-room in
the basement of the Frankfort-st. building, but
they were extinguished before much damage had
been done. The circumstances ander which the
fire started led Messrs Mayer e. Wolfram to be-
lieve that it was of incendiary origin. but they
said nothing to the authorities
A fortnight later another fire started st
about the same hour Of the morning In the samc
corner. This too, was smothered before it could
spread. On April at 3 a. IN the third fire started
among heap of papers in 4 two-story building iu
the rear of and detached from the Frankfort.st.
structure and which was used US O mailing-r room
aud storage for files of various papers. Like
the others, it was put out soon after it
started. Messrs Mayer e. Wolfram were now
thoroughly aroused to the danger they were in and
requested tn the Fire Marshal to inquire into the
CATION that official attributed them to spontaneous
combustion.
On Saturday morning. April 10, the Fire Depart
ment was again called to tho same building
and found flames in about the same place
as ON the Saturday before They, were got under
the Fire Marshal pronounced the same verdict as
before. Messrs. Mayer s. Wafram disagreed
with him and authorized the publication in
several Sunday morning papers of an.ofier of $500
reward for the detection of the incendary The pa
pers containing this otter coming from the
presses when sheet of flame was seen to leap ont
of the most easterly of the three rear windows Of
the fifth floor OF the main building oD which were
| the composing rooms OF the He0h and Zeitasg.
The fire spread with great rapidty and
with difficulty was confined TO the single structure,
and when 1t was extinguishcd there was little left
besides the walls. Messrs. Mayer & Wolfram lost
all their type paper stock and Office furniture their
presses were seriously damaged aud they sus-
tanned loss of $4,000. The Fire Marshal
was not successful in attaching blame to any one.
| however, and beyond talking about arresting
two men, whose names he refused to give,
but of whose guilt he acknowledged there was
| little proof, he did nothing.
Messrs. Mayer & Wolfram leased the third ficor
of the six-stOry building at No. 13 Spruce-st for
temporary composing-room, and established their
offices in the rear OF the ground floor. At
| 7:30 last night smoke was seen issuing from tho
roof Of this building. fire had started amonga
pile of boards under stairway on the fourth loft
| and made its way through the elevator shaft to
the roof. Engines were soon on the spot and the
| fire was quickly extnguished. but not anfil
il had done, thousand dollarS worth Of
manufacturers of gum labels occupy that loft and
their workmen allleft 1t at 8 O'clock The thrd
floor is used partly by John Williams, nachinist.
and partly by the Daft Electric Power Company,
and the sixth by the BROOKLYN Lubrcating Oil
Company, who also have an office with tbs
Excelsior steam fOSei Seldios COMPANY the the
second floor 1t was said that all the offices and
workrooms. except the composlng-room of the Ger
| started were deserted and locked at o'clock, and
the theory of those who believe that the building
| was fired by an ncendiary is that il was done BY
some one who went IN from the street. Tho
chief of the battalion who had the fire In
charge was unable to find any positive indications
| VI luccnul1llsln.
| J. ]. Mayer, a member Of the publishing Grm,
| felt positive that another attempt hal been made
! to burn his concern out, but could suggest rea-
| son why il should be done. Sand he:
We have always temperate editorial utersnces
and have endeavorcd 10 avoid making enemies our
ons with employees OF the friendiet sort there
is no earthly suppose that OF them shoad
burn out because OF any personal grievance Two
trouble with typographical Union No. and had
10 have rat" Office time That dincuty anlessy
Strict accordance with the rules Of the union
| The theory regarded most plausible tc account
for the fires is that they the work of Anar chsts
notwithstanding the fact that the antl-AnaI chist
nrlnclples of the paper have not been made con-
spicuous Among the employees IN theZeiiaag COM
posing- room is a brother Of Rindskopf who at
tempied 10 assassnate the German Emperor and q
man VINO ID reputed to be q close TREND OF Herr
Most.
Last nights fire was not serious enough TO rge-
vent work i'll the ZetuRg c0mposing-room aud the
paper will be published as usual to-day. Tho total
damage sustained by the occupants OF the building
is about 81 800.